Kathmandu - Spiritual city

Kathmandu - it was a long time on our list and finally we did it. 10 days in Nepal and the first 2.5 days in Kathmandu.
We did a good combination of seeing ancient sites and walking through colorful lively alley ways.
We had for Patan Darbar a guide which did help us to get the key information about the history of Nepal. Was a good start! Patan Darbar (or Durbar and means Royal Palace) is on of the 3 Royal squares in Kathmandu Valley and all 3 are World Heritage Sites. Patan is the oldest of all the three cities of Kathmandu valley. It is the best known for its artistic heritage and I t is probably one of the oldest Buddhist City in the world. The square is full of ancient places, temples, and shrines noted for their exquisite carvings. And on one side of the square is the Royal Palace. The highlights were the Royal bath called Tushahity and the Golden Window. All the buildings were somehow damaged during the 2015 earthquake but the majority has been rebuilt or has been renovated.
After that we went to the second Durbar, the Kathmandu Durbar which is in the heart of Old Kathmandu. With the highest concentration of old structures, the square is home to several palaces, courtyards, and temples. And close by was as well Freak Street which was famous in the 60ties and 70ties as part of the Hippie trail. Why, because at the time the main attraction drawing tourists to Freak Street was then the government-run hashish shops. Freak Street was a hippie nirvana till more strict regulations were put in place and finally the hippie movement of Nepal died out in the late 1970s.
Another interesting part of Kathmandu is Thamel which is the place for tourists, restaurants, shops and bars. We had very good Nepalese food like Momos or Dal Bat with Mutton in family owned businesses.
The final day was reserved for 2 important site visits. The Buddha Stupa and the Pashupatinath Temple.
The Buddha Stupa is also an UNESCO World Heritage site and one of the largest and most important stupas in the world for the Buddhists. The eyes of Buddha are painted on all four sides of the tower. Prayer wheels were everywhere. A spiritually and culturally enriching place.
Second stop was the Pashupatinath Temple., a Hindu temple next to the sacred Bagmati river. The temple is also World Heritage since 1979. It’s the oldest Hindu temple in Kathmandu and it is devoted to the Hindu god Shiva in his form as Pashupati, protector of animals. Believers want their lives to end here and are cremated here so that they may be purified by the sacred waters of the Baghmati.
Overall a very impressive city which deserves more time. People are very friendly, air quality is bad, food and beer excellent.Read more